A quote from Gore Vidal

“The great unmentionable evil at the center of our culture is monotheism. From a barbaric Bronze Age text known as the Old Testament, three anti-human religions have evolved—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These are sky-god religions. They are, literally, patriarchal—God is the Omnipotent Father—hence the loathing of women for 2,000 years in those countries afflicted by the sky-god and his earthly male delegates. The sky-god is a jealous god, of course. He requires total obedience from everyone on earth, as he is not just in place for one tribe, but for all creation. Those who would reject him must be converted or killed for their own good. Ultimately, totalitarianism is the only sort of politics that can truly serve the sky-god’s purpose.”

3. This was a nice surprise!

I saw the response and figured my post was getting hidden by one of the easily offended.

Or even worse, the Trinity of the Religion group had followed me over here to kvetch - you know, the Father, Son or Holy Host.

Since you responded, I have to say again how in awe I am of you, GM, skepticscott, and the other A/A'ers who daily go toe-to-toe with the Usual Suspects in that group. It's just incredible. You're like a bunch of Energizer Bunnies with automatic Logic-Weapons.

4. Make that two fanboys.

6. And another one... from an interview with The Atlantic:

In September, director Roman Polanski was arrested in Switzerland for leaving the U.S. in 1978 before being sentenced to prison for raping a 13-year-old girl at Jack Nicholson’s house in Hollywood. During the time of the original incident, you were working in the industry, and you and Polanski had a common friend in theater critic and producer Kenneth Tynan. So what’s your take on Polanski, this many years later?

I really don’t give a fuck. Look, am I going to sit and weep every time a young hooker feels as though she’s been taken advantage of?

Since we were speaking of the possible and relative damage done by men who ended their beliefs in deities but not their sense of superiority.